ANOSR: Students lay down 15 Priorities for an Effective and Qualitative Higher Education System

During the Forum of Students’ Organisations which took place during the summer of 2016 in Romania, students’ leaders from all over the country participated in a series of parallel debates and workshops about different aspects concerning the Romanian higher education system, the outcome being the 15 priorities which will be further presented.

On December 11, parliamentary elections will take place in Romania for the next 4-year election cycle (2016-2020) and after that, a new government will be designated. Thus, we proposed 15 objectives for the development of the Romanian higher education system to all candidates and political parties involved in the elections and invited them to include our ideas in their political programs. We want to make sure that in the next election cycle education will legitimately be a national priority.

Students call for:

1.  Appropriate financing for education, above the EU member states average, based on performance, allotting annually a minimum of 6% of the GDP.
2. Stable and predictable national education legislation, based on consultations with all the stakeholders involved in the education system.
3. High enough scholarship funds to grant universities the possibility of offering allowances to all the students in need. The scholarship quantum should cover all monthly expenses such as accommodation, food, footwear, clothing and materials for study as well as other mechanisms which could make the Romanian education system an equitable one, so that the university dropout rate due to the lack of financial resources would be eradicated.
4. Investment funds to afford renovations for student accommodation in order to align them to European standards, as well as building new dormitories where necessary in order to meet demands.
5. Proper financing of the career orientation and counseling system both for tertiary and pre-tertiary education. Students need to be able to access these services freely throughout their studies in order to facilitate better insertion on the job market and guidance in choosing their educational path.
6.  Adequate internships legislation which would confer rights to those engaged in such activities.
7. Adequate funding and legislation which would allow the development of student centered learning, with a flexible system and adapted teaching means and methods, based on a modern academic infrastructure.
8. Objective, impartial and performing higher education quality assurance and evaluation system, correlated with the specific European directives, that does not allow any digression remain unsanctioned and that encourages universities to increase the quality of their study programs offered for all study cycles and involve students in all their processes.
9. Ethics, integrity and good governance should be the core values of the Romanian education system, guaranteed by robust legislation that would not permit any sort of unsanctioned digression.
10. Internationally competitive and attractive education system created by substantial government investments into research and development programs and by creating an appealing image of the Romanian education through the eradication of corruption and imposture.
11. Adequate national programs to help universities adapt their infrastructure and academic resources to the needs of students with disabilities.
12. Consolidating the status of the students as equal partners with full rights in higher education, including ensuring their right to take part in electing the leadership of the universities in a proportion of at least 25% from all the electorate.
13. Developing the national student camps program by increasing the number of beneficiaries and capitalizing publicly administered leisure and youth centers.
14. Promoting transparency, meritocracy and competency in all the structures of higher education and eliminating any political encroachment.
15. The need to fundamentally reform and re-think the mission of Students Cultural Houses so that these would become supporting entities for students, and work in close cooperation with universities.

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